A Very Franklin Christmas
Twinkling lights. Christmas tree lots. Frosted window displays. Sledding, ice skating, and snowball fights. Running into friends on Main Street. Hot cocoa by the fireplace. These are images that come to mind when we think of Christmas time in Franklin. Emmy-nominated television host Megan Alexander encapsulated these scenes and joyous feelings in her new children’s book, “The Magic of a Small Town Christmas.”
Megan may have lived in big cities like New York and San Antonio, but her roots are in Edmonds, Washington. Heartbeat Falls, where the story takes place, is a reflection of the town she grew up in as well as a combination of all of the festive towns she’s visited in her UPtv show “Small Town Christmas.” In the first season, she traveled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Natchitoches, Louisiana; Summerville, South Carolina; and Branson, Missouri. Season 2 is now available and features travels to Elijay, Georgia; North Pole, Alaska; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Frostburg, Maryland.
Franklin, Tennessee made a sweet and subtle appearance with an ode to a special neighbor. Megan explains, “In the book we visit the town bakery, Sherry’s. Sherry is my neighbor who lives just down the road from me. She’s a really great friend of mine and one of the people I share all my projects with, so I had to include her in the book. She is a wonderful cook and her daughter also makes cookies professionally.”
Megan loves reading children’s books as much as her three kids, especially for the captivating illustrations. She was thrilled to bring back Hiroe Nakata to illustrate the Christmas book after she illustrated Megan’s first children’s book, “One More Hug.” Hiroe makes an effort to create some characters that look like Megan’s family, which makes flipping through the pages even more fun and memorable. Megan laughs, “The part when we’re in the kitchen baking, the kids resemble my kids, and she slipped in my dog.”
Baking Christmas desserts is something she loves to do every year. She says, “My grandma left us all a cookbook of her recipes, so I try to go through that. Two years ago, I tried to make a Yule log cake, which is definitely harder than it looks!” This year, she’s ready to continue other Christmas traditions including decorating the house, hosting a grand Christmas party, and shopping locally in downtown Franklin. Her family also loves to drive around town with another family to view all the Christmas lights.
Visit Megan Alexander at her booth during Dickens of a Christmas or pick up a copy of “The Magic of a Small Town Christmas” at The Incredible Christmas Place in Mt. Juliet. MeganAlexander.com
